We all know that humans are full of it, and it just keeps coming out. The following article is from the Access Fund eNews. If you are not familiar with the Access Fund (www.accessfund.org), it is an organization that has been around for a number of years, dedicated to maintaining and gaining access to areas, primarily for climbing, but also for other outdoor activities. They work in concert with other outdoor organizations. Education for users is a very important part of their mission - use it wisely, or else you lose access, and work wisely with the land managers.
Anyway, the information included in the article is of interest to backpackers, day hikers, and other backcountry users. In many areas, you are required to pack out your human waste, as well as the cans and candy wrappers. Be aware!
When Nature Calls
Lara Usinowicz
The World Health Organization estimates that the average adult produces about one liter—some 2 pounds worth—of excreta per day, half of that being solid waste.
While in our day-to-day lives this might not be at the forefront of our thoughts, but when we head into the backcountry, the issue of human waste must be addressed.
Consider that in 2005, Grand Canyon National Park had 238,381 backcountry overnight stays. If most of the visitors stayed in the park for 24 hours, that means 120 tons of human urine and feces fell upon the Grand Canyon backcountry in 12 months.
The Happy Boulders in Bishop, CA now sees 40,000 visitors per year and Indian Creek, UT has been so heavily impacted by human waste that they have implemented a human waste bag system which, while voluntary, is highly advised to avoid potential user fees that would be associated with the Park installing toilets (www.friendsofindiancreek.org).
While digging a cathole is sometimes a viable option (dig a hole 6 to 8 inches deep at least 200 feet from water, camp and trails. After use, cover and disguise the cathole and pack out all toilet paper and hygiene products), some studies have shown that catholes don’t encourage a rapid “die-off” of intestinal bacteria.
There are many areas where burying your waste is not an option. These include:
heavy use areas: at trailheads and other areas where digging a cathole might entail digging up someone else’s waste;
in deep river gorges: where it is impossible to travel the required 200 feet away from the river, along any waterway where there is only sandy soil which doesn’t have the nutrients to decompose waste; in canyons and high deserts where the soil is also without the microorganisms necessary to biodegrade human waste;
above the treeline: in any mountaineering or climbing venue where the soil is too rocky to dig the required 6-8 inches for a proper cathole.
While any method of carrying out your waste is better than the alternative, whether it is a plastic baggie, a PVC tube, or the “blue bag” that is offered in several mountaineering venues, such as Rainier, compliance is an important issue so the method should be as pleasant as possible.
There are several products on the market that make waste containment systems (such as those in use at Indian Creek). Access Fund Corporate Partner Restop products (www.whennaturecalls.com) offers a safe and sanitary system to deal with human waste in the wilderness. Inside the bag is a powder, a polymer/enzyme blend, which biodegrades and gels the waste, giving it EPA approval to be simply thrown away in the trash after use.
These products provide us with an inexpensive and effective means to comply with the outdoor ethics of Leave No Trace. We can each take responsibility for ourselves in the wilderness or we can let it go to shit…
